


The Beauty of This Order

by SolarisGaudium



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, pizza delivery au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-08-13 03:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7961248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarisGaudium/pseuds/SolarisGaudium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lyra Mahariel and her roommates decide to order pizza for dinner and try to play a joke on Alistair who just started working as a delivery boy. However everything changed when it wasn't Alistair at the door, but Zevran.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was inspired by a late night conversation my friends and I had while ordering pizza. When ordering Domino's through their website, you have the option to change the pizza tracker themes. One of them is romantic, and we realized that the voice sounded a lot like Zevran. So, my friends talked me into writing a fic (it didn't take much) so here it is! Hope you all enjoy!

She kicked the rock as she walked, trying to channel all of her frustration into her foot. Work was terrible; there were too many stupid customers with stupid demands.  
With another kick she imagined the rock hitting that lady with too much makeup right in the eye. Another kick was aimed at the little brat that stuck everything in his mouth. Another kick was for the old man who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Steadily she kicked the rock all the way to her apartment, letting her frustration go with every kick. Still a little miffed she pulled out her keys to let herself in when she heard a deep, throaty laugh. “Looks like someone got you mighty ticked off!” A short man with a long braided mustache was sitting on one of the ground floor patios connected to each apartment, a bottle of beer in hand, “Tough day at work, eh Lyra?”

Lyra smirked, “Oh, you know, just some idiots who want stuff for free. The usual,” she nodded to the beer, “that isn’t the same beer form this morning, is it Oghren?”

Oghren chuckled and lifted the beer, “Of course not! It’s my anniversary!”

“I see. Well, have fun with that!” Lyra shook her head laughing and walked inside. She should have known from the strong slur in his voice that he had been drinking all day. She never met his wife, but she heard the stories he would tell about the arguments they would have over the silliest things. She had died a few years before and despite his jolly demeanor, it was obvious he still missed her.

Lyra unlocked the door and was immediately knocked to the ground by a giant mastiff. Whining the dog licked her face, slobber and dog breath assaulting her face. “Tank! Get off of me!” With much effort Lyra was able to shove the dog away and sit up, noticing her roommate Morrigan watching in amusement.

“I think he missed you,” she said with a grin. She was sitting on the couch with her arms stretched out across the back, looking like a super model.

“Yeah, I can tell!” Lyra stood up and wiped away the slobber and brushed off her uniform. Now she would have to throw it in the washer before work in the morning.

“Is everything alright in there?” A voice called out from around the corner that led to the kitchen.

“Everything’s fine, Leliana! No need to worry!” Lyra replied and closed the door. Tank tried to jump up on her again, but this time she was prepared and was able to fend him off. Until she sat on the opposite couch that is. The moment she sat down she was buried by pounds of fur and muscle, effectively losing the ability to breathe.  
“Dang it Tank, get OFF!” Lyra shoved the dog off, who then sat down in front of her with a pleading grin.

“Rough day at work?” Morrigan asked nonchalantly.

“How can you tell? Was is my cheery demeanor??” The thought of what happened at work brought back all of her anger and she clenched her fists tightly.

“Oh dear, what happened?” Leliana entered the room and sat down next to Morrigan, absently drying her hands with a dish towel.

Lyra sighed and patted Tank on the head. “A lot happened. Something must be in the water because it seemed like everyone was extra stupid today. I had this one lady ask if we had any dog food. I told her no because we are a CLOTHING STORE but of course she wouldn’t listen! I finally had to have a manager deal with her before I broke something.”

Morrigan sighed, “Sounds like she needed to get her eyes and hearing checked!”

Leliana shook her head, “the poor thing was just confused. Was your manager able to help her?”

Lyra shrugged. “I don’t know. It happened near the end of my shift so I didn’t have a chance to find out.” Lyra swung her legs up and laid across the couch, her limbs sprawled out everywhere. “But I’m so hungry right now, lunch seemed like hours ago! What’s for dinner?”

Leliana winced slightly, “Well, we don’t really have anything to cook with right now...”

Morrigan examined her nails with a bored expression. “The stove exploded.”

Lyra bolted upright, startling Tank. “What?! What happened??”

Leliana stared pointedly at Morrigan, “Someone decided to experiment with some herbs and the stove caught fire.”

“It’s not my fault!” Morrigan snapped back, “That thing was so old it was bound to happen! It just happened to me instead of you.”

Lyra laid back down in defeat and Tank took that as an invitation to join her on the couch at her legs. “What did Wynne have to say?”

“She said that since the fire didn’t damage anything else we don’t have to worry too much about the costs,” Leliana replied, “luckily she happened to have a spare stove we can use until we can get a new one, but it won’t be installed until tomorrow.”

“That helps, I guess.” Lyra groaned as she started mentally figuring out her budget. If the three of them pooled in their money it shouldn’t be too difficult, but she would have to figure out the exact numbers later. Right now she was too brain dead to think too hard about numbers. “So what are we going to do about dinner then?”

The three of them pondered for a moment (or at least two of them did, Morrigan was busy fixing her nails) when Leliana broke the silence, “what about pizza? We could have it delivered so that we don’t have to worry about cooking anything.”

Lyra grinned at this, “yeah, that would work! And I know just where to order from!” After some wriggling to free her legs she darted to her room to grab her laptop. After returning and booting it up she grinned slyly at her roommates. “Alister just started working at Dominos last week.”

Leliana clasped her hands together. “Ooh yes! We should definitely give him some practice!”

Morrigan continued to work on her nails, but Lyra could see a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “I’m sure Tank would love to see him.”

Lyra chuckled. She was pretty sure that Morrigan just wanted to see Alistair in his uniform and mock him. That was usually what happened whenever the two of them were near each other.

The laptop had finished starting up so Lyra opened the internet and went to the Dominos website. The three of them quickly decided on what they wanted; hand-tossed black olive, chicken, spinach and extra cheese for Morrigan, thin crust Hawaiian for Liliana (which resulted in a snide comment from Morrigan), and a regular vegetarian for Lyra. After submitting the order, the delivery details page popped up, which included an option to give specific instructions to the driver.

“Oh!” Leliana pipped up excitedly, “We should make Alistair do something ridiculous when he gets here!”

Morrigan grinned wickedly at that. “Oh yes, that would be quite entertaining! But what, exactly?”

“We don’t want to traumatize the poor man!” Lyra interjected, although the idea was very tempting. A different idea popped into her head and she started typing. This would be more harmless and it would give them something to tease him about.

“What are you typing?” Leliana asked with a hint of suspicion.

In answer Lyra turned the laptop around and showed them what was written: _Send your cutest driver_.

They all busted up laughing and the request was sent. Now all they had to do was wait.

Lyra decided to investigate the stove damage while they waited. The stove had been removed by the fire department already, but the evidence was still there. The smell of burnt grease and smoke still lingered in the air despite Leliana’s attempts of cleaning up, and there was a hint of smoke on the wall. Luckily it could be fixed with a fresh coat of paint, but it would have to be dealt with at a later date.

Satisfied that her bank account wasn’t going to be hurt too much Lyra took a quick shower and put on a clean pair of sweats and an old t-shirt. Back in the living room the three of them chatted for a bit while waiting for their food.

Tank heard the main door before they did and bolted for the door, panting heavily. “Looks like he’s here!” Lyra laughed and reached the door just as there was a light knock and opened it.

What she was about to say died on her lips. This definitely wasn’t Alistair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little on the short side. This is just a small taste to what is coming. The next chapters will definitely be longer!


	2. Chapter 2

Lyra stared at the man that stood at the door, not quite sure what to say. He had darkened skin with light hair, shining brown eyes and a striking tattoo framing the side of his face; all in all, he was very attractive.

“Good evening,” the man said with a charming grin and a bow, “You asked for the cutest driver, so here I am!”

He had a Spanish accent that seemed to bring the whole thing together and Lyra just stared. She couldn’t think of anything to say, she was too distracted by the man’s eyes.

The spell was quickly broken when Tank decided that he wanted the deliciously smelling bag in the driver’s hands and jumped up on him.

Surprisingly the man twisted smoothly out of the way while keeping the bag raised out of the dog’s reach. “This dog has good taste!” he laughed.

By this time Leliana and Morrigan got to the door and were watching curiously; Morrigan with a bored expression (as usual) and Leliana with a sly grin.

After effectively dodging Tank, the man turned back to Lyra. “My name is Zevran, and what might your name be?”

Lyra stuttered a bit before regaining control of her vocal cords. “L-lyra. Lyra Mahariel.”

Zevran bowed again, “It is a pleasure to meet a beauty such as yourself, Lyra Mahariel! I am truly blessed that I was able to bring you your order.”

Lyra blushed slightly. No one had ever called her beautiful before.

With practiced grace Zevran quickly removed the boxed pizzas from the bag and held them out to her. “I hope that your meal is as exquisite as you.”

Lyra took the food and quickly gave it to Leliana so that she could give him the tip. After signing the receipt and handing him the money, Zevran nodded. “Thank you for your generosity, miss Lyra. I hope to have the pleasure of delivering to you again.” With that he winked and left the building.

Lyra closed the door, still in shock, and saw her roommates staring at her; Leliana with shining eyes and a wide grin and Morrigan thinking up all of the teasing comments possible. “What?” Lyra asked defensively.

“That was so adorable!” Leliana cried, “You were red as a cherry when he complimented you!”

Lyra scowled. “I was not! He just caught me off guard!”

Morrigan grinned devilishly, “While I’m disappointed it wasn’t Alistair, watching you get flustered by that man’s charm was almost as enjoyable.”

Lyra glared at them and stormed past. “Let’s just eat already, alright? We can forget this every happened!” She knew Morrigan wouldn’t let her live this down, but she felt a little better about it with her protests.

They all returned to their couches and split up the food, a few teasing comments shared at Lyra’s expense. Lyra ignored them and ate her pizza, happy with the short break when Morrigan went back to arguing with Leliana about her pizza toppings, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t get Zevran’s smile out of her mind.

 

The next day Lyra was out walking with Tank. The men Wynne had hired to move in the new stove had shown up earlier and she didn’t want Tank to get in their way. The last thing she needed was medical bills put on her because her over-affectionate beast caused an accident. He may be a softie, but he wasn’t called Tank for nothing.

They quickly made their way deeper into town, Tank pulling Lyra towards every post and tree they neared. Lyra was strong, but she was too distracted to keep her dog under control. Zevran wouldn’t leave her mind and it was infuriating. The last time she obsessed over a boy was shortly after graduating high school, and while that was great in the beginning he ended up dying a year later. She swore off of boys after that.

So what was her problem? Sure, Zevran was charming and attractive, you would have to be blind to not see that, but that couldn’t be the only reason he crowded her thoughts. She was missing something and it annoyed her to no end that she couldn’t see it.

Tank started barking and tugging hard at the leash, causing Lyra to almost fall forward on her face. “Tank!” she yelled, trying to regain control over the dog. She looked up to see what the dog was freaking out over and saw a tall, lanky man sitting at a cafe across the street reading a book. Tank whined at looked back at her, pleading that they go say hello.

With a grin she shook her head. “You’re hopeless.” Pulling the leash closer she kept Tank by her side as they crossed the street and approached the man. “Hey punk!”

The man jumped slightly and looked up from his book. When he noticed Lyra he smiled broadly and stood up. “Lyra! Fancy meeting you here! Did your date abandon you too?”

Lyra gave him a hug and laughed. “Not quite, but Tank did almost leave me for you. How are you, Alistair?”

Alistair scratched Tank on the head as he answered, “Oh, you know, just pinning after girls that don’t acknowledge my existence.” He motioned to the other chair at the table. “Care to sit? I haven’t had a chance to order yet.”

Lyra nodded, “Sure, why not?” she sat down and Tank settled down under the table, resting his head on Alistair’s feet.

Alistair put his book away and folded his hands on the table. “So, what brings you here?”

Lyra shrugged casually. “Morrigan blew up the stove so Wynne has some people over to replace it.”

Alistair’s eye grew wide. “Blew up the stove? What, did it offend her or something?”

Lyra chuckled, “No, she was apparently experimenting with her herbs.”

“Ah, most likely trying to come up with a new way to torture me. Remember the poison ivy lotion she gave me? I was itching for weeks!” Alistair shuddered slightly at the thought. “I wouldn’t put it past her to try and get me with something again.”

“Well, the stove might have saved you then,” Lyra leaned back, then frowned, “By the way, weren’t you working last night?”

In an instant Alistair avoided eye contact. “Oh, well, yes. Funny story actually, I could have sworn that someone from your apartment complex ordered something!”

Lyra gave him a deadpan look, “Gee, I wonder who that was.”

Alistair laughed nervously, “Yeah! I mean, it was the weirdest thing! I had no idea who it could be.”

“Alistair,” Lyra said threateningly.

Alistair sighed in defeat. “I know, I’m sorry. I was going to deliver, but then my coworker saw the request you made and declared that he would deliver instead. He was already out the door before I could even blink!”

Lyra scowled, folding her arms. “Ya know you really ruined all our fun by being a push over like that.”

Alistair gave her his famous kicked-puppy look. “I’m not a push over! You met the man, he’s very persuasive, let alone that I was the new guy.”

Lyra scowled more, but finally gave in as Alistair’s look grew more persistent. “Alright, fine, I forgive you. Next time I’ll be more specific in my choice of driver.” 

Alistair immediately brightened and acted as though nothing had happened. “Yeah, good idea. So, what did you think of Zevran?”

Lyra could feel herself starting to blush and immediately looked away to try and calm herself. “I don’t think anything! Why would I? He’s just a Domino’s employee, there’s nothing special about that!”

Alistair had a confused look for a moment before realization dawned on him. “Wait a minute! Did the famous Lyra Mahariel actually get a crush?!”

She could feel herself blushing furiously now and shot him a poisonous glare. “No! It’s nothing like that at all!”

Alistair ignored her and smiled broadly. “Wow, who knew a charming delivery boy was all it took to break your walls down!”

Lyra huffed at him. “He did not! He surprised me, that all.”

Alistair leaned back in his chair, grinning like the cat who caught the mouse. “Uh huh, sure. I don’t blame you, he’s rather attractive. Apparently he always delivers to girls apartments and the like and always returns with the best tips. It’s rather inspiring actually.”

Lyra scoffed, finally gaining control of herself again. “If you like him so much why don’t you date him or something?”

Alistair gave her a mock expression of surprise. “And cheat on my one and only love? I would never do such a thing!”

“Hmm, true. How ever will Tank survive without you to keep him company?” Lyra teased, “Besides, you’re the only human around that smells like him, he would get lonely.”

Alistair’s grin quickly reverted back to the kicked-puppy look, “Aw, come on! That was years ago! And it wasn’t even my fault!”

Lyra cackled, “Yeah but you fell for it!” Ever since Morrigan gave Alistair a foul smelling cologne to wear for the freshman dance in college everyone would tease him about it. The bottle was quickly burned (which was quite the sight to see) but the smell was forever burned into everyone’s mind.

Alistair slouched in his seat and pouted just as the waitress came up to their table. She had a bored expression very similar to Morrigan’s and Lyra wondered if they were related somehow. “What can I get for you?”

Alistair immediately sat up and flashed a smile at her. “Hey, yes, I would like a hot chocolate please, with extra marshmallows.”

The waitress’ expression didn’t change and she wrote down the order. “And for you?” she asked Lyra.

“Black coffee please.”

The waitress nodded and quickly left them alone again. Lyra turned to Alistair and shook her head, slightly exasperated. “Extra marshmallows? Really?”

Alistair shrugged defensively. “Hey, they’re my favorite part!”

“Whatever you say,” Lyra told him. The two of them chatted while waiting for their drinks and after they arrived, sharing work horror stories and general catching up. Shortly after finishing the last of her drink, Lyra looked down at her watch. “Oh wow, it’s getting late. I should head back before the others start to wonder where I am.”

Alistair nodded, “Alright then. It was nice chatting with you Lyra.” He bent down and scratched Tank on the head. “And you be a good boy! Yes, you’re such a good boy!”

Lyra rolled her eyes grinning. “Alright, that enough you two lovebirds!”

Alistair ignored her and scratched Tank’s belly before sitting up. “See ya later, Lyra!”

Lyra waved good bye and left the cafe, Tank very quickly taking the lead again. As they walked she became lost in thought, not really paying attention to where they were going. Usually Tank was very good and getting them home, so when he started barking she instinctively reached for her apartment keys. However, when she looked up they weren’t at her apartment. They were at Domino’s. “Tank, what-” before she could finish her sentence she saw through the window Zevran working the front counter. 

To her surprise she felt butterflies in her stomach and her palms get sweaty, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t walk away. No! No way! This isn’t happening! She swore to herself as she tied Tank to a nearby tree. “Stay here and be good,” she told him. In response, Tank laid down and rested his head on his massive paws, looking up at her.

Lyra entered the store and casually walked up to the counter, waiting behind another customer. She panicked slightly when she realized she didn’t know what to order. It was too early in the day for anything filling, besides her bank account would protest buying pizza for two days straight. But she had to buy something or else it would seem rude. What if Zevran didn’t recognize her? What would make things even more awkward.

She realized that it was going to be her turn soon and panicked more. Then something caught her eye that was not too expensive but a decent food choice for a late morning snack. The customer finished paying and stood off to the side, revealing Lyra to Zevran.

When he saw her Zevran smiled broadly. “Ah, if it isn’t Lyra Mahariel! To what do I owe the pleasure of you gracing my humble shop?”

Lyra smile in spite of herself. He was so incredibly over the top, and yet it didn’t irk her like she thought it should. “Hi Zevran. Um, how are you?”

“My day was so dreary until your arrival! And to hear you call my name with that angelic voice of yours makes me feel inedible,” Zevran winked at her, “Was your previous order to your satisfaction?”

Lyra felt her heart flip and felt betrayed by her own body. Trying to act normal, she said “It was great, thank you Zevran,” She was grateful that the counter was hiding her hands nervously picking at her shirt hem, “Um, could I order a lava cake please?”

Zevran partially bowed to her, “Of course, Miss Mahariel. I will oversee the preparations myself so that your order will be perfect for you.”

Lyra nodded, “Thanks.” She quickly paid and stepped off to the side. She sat down on one of the benches and glared at the other customer to keep him from staring at her curiously.

While she waited for her food she watched Zevran work. True to his word he personally prepared her food, to the annoyance of a couple of his coworkers. Lyra couldn’t stop watching him. He seemed to move effortlessly as he worked, weaving smoothly between the furniture and people. It was fascinating to watch and Lyra was mesmerized.

In what seemed like no time at all her food was ready and Zevran called her name. She approached the counter and Zevran handed her the box with a smile. “Here is your order. I hope that it exceeds your expectations!”

Lyra nodded her thanks and quickly left the store. After retrieving Tank, who had become friends with a couple of pigeons in her absence, and hurried back to her apartment.

As they walked, something caught her eye on the box. It was decorated with the usual red and blue print that every Domino’s box had, but in the white border was a phone number and the letter Z.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang another chapter already! That was fast! Now to finally introduce Zevran! Poor Lyra doesn't stand a chance against his charms


	3. Chapter 3

Lyra paced her room later that day. When she had returned home, she found that the workers had finished installing the stove and that both of her roommates were out running errands (separately of course) so she had the house to herself. However she was too distracted to take advantage of this.

The box with the phone number sat on her desk, the cakes inside untouched. The room was a bit on the small side; only big enough to comfortably fit a dresser, desk and twin bed; so her pacing space was limited.

Many different thoughts went through her head all at once, and tightly in her hand was a worn photograph of a young man with short pale hair. His arm is wrapped around Lyra’s shoulders and they are both smiling at the camera.

Unbidden, tears fell from Lyra’s face as she paced. Tamlen was her dearest friend, and she had hoped to become more than that, but cancer had to rear it’s ugly head and take him from her. She could still perfectly imagine Tamlen laying in the hospital bed, his hair completely gone and his skin sickly pale. She stayed with him through all of the treatments, all the way to the very end. Even though it had been about a year, she still felt the pain as though it happened only yesterday.

She thought she would never love again, but here this charming stranger appears in her life and makes her feel like a high school girl experiencing her first crush. And now he gave her his phone number, giving her the option to contact him outside of work. But would doing so betray Tamlen?

Frustrated, she fell onto her bed, looking up at the bare ceiling. Tank jumped up onto her and laid down, resting his head on her stomach and whimpering softly. Without looking at him Lyra scratched his ear and tried to make sense of all of this.

A knock on the door and Tank jumping off her jolted her out of her thoughts. Tank was waiting by the door by the time she got there, wagging his tail furiously.

Wiping her eyes, Lyra opened the door to reveal an older woman with graying hair pulled into a ponytail. “Good afternoon dear,” she said in a kind and gentle voice.

Lyra smiled and hugged the woman, “Hi Wynne! What’s up?”

Wynne returned the hug. “Oh I just came to make sure that there weren’t anymore problems with your kitchen. You know how trouble likes to wear out it’s welcome.”

Lyra opened the door wider and stepped to the side, “Come on in. I actually haven’t had the time to check it myself yet.”

Wynne stepping inside and Lyra led her to the kitchen. The new stove sat in the same place as the old one, the soot stains on the wall above it the only evidence of the previous catastrophe. Wynne examined the stove and made a small approved noise. “Well, it seems they did rather well. I’ll have to make sure to let them know,” she said with a satisfied smile.

“Great,” Lyra replied, “Hopefully this will last longer than the other one.”

Wynne made a tsking noise as she left the kitchen. “Knowing Morrigan, that probably won’t happen.” The two of them returned to the living room and Lyra started heading to the front door when Wynne stopped. “I apologize if I’m overstepping my boundaries, but can I ask what you were crying about earlier?”

Lyra looked back at the old woman in surprise. “How did-”

Wynne just smiled, “I’ve been in this world for a long time, it’s easy to tell when someone has cried.”

Lyra grinned slightly. She should have known better than to think she could hide anything from Wynne, she always had a way to see things that weren’t very obvious, which was very interesting to her.

Lyra motioned for Wynne to sit down, and once they were settled she told the old woman about Zevran and Tamlen. When her story was finished she waited for Wynne to respond, hoping that she made sense.

Wynne leaned back in thought for a moment before speaking, “So you are afraid to explore this possible relationship with Zevran because of your loyalty to Tamlen, correct?” Lyra nodded and Wynne continued, “Well, this really is quite a predicament you’ve found yourself in.”

Lyra sighed, “yeah, I noticed. Do you have any advice?”

Wynne thought carefully before responding, “Well, let me ask you this: did you ever tell Tamlen how you felt about him?”

Lyra was taken aback by the unexpected question. “Um, well, I tried. I wanted to tell him, but the day before...he passed, we didn’t have the chance. I was actually in the process of doing so when his heart finally gave out.” She could feel the tears falling again. 

_Almost immediately she was brought back to that day. Tamlen had looked the worst he ever had, his breathing slow and loud as he fought for air. His skin was so pale and fragile-looking it seemed like it would crumble at the slightest touch. His boney fingers were laying limply at his sides, multiple tubes, needles, and more connected to him in various places. They made him look like some sort cyborg; more machine than man._

_Lyra sat down in her usual spot next to the bed without a word, just the usual forced smile on her face. “Hey. How are you feeling?”_

_Tamlen gave her a weak smile before coughing violently. “I’m fine,” he finally choked out, “just a little tired.”_

_Lyra didn’t like the sound of the cough. It seemed that Tamlen’s health was taking a nosedive lately and it scared her. “Well, Marethari wanted to tell you that she misses you and that she wishes she could come visit more often.”_

_Tamlen nods, “I miss her too. I’m just sorry that I haven’t been able to help her because of all this.”_

_Lyra shook her head quickly, “No, don’t worry about it! Everything is fine at the shop, you just worry about getting better.” She didn’t mention that Marethari was thinking of moving the plant shop because of her being unable to pay the rent. She didn’t want to give him something else to worry about._

_Tamlen’s smile wavered a bit at that, “I’m giving it my best.”_

_Lyra could feel her heart break a little, which was surprising with how much it had already been damaged. It hurt her to see her friend like this, unable to move when only months before he was climbing a tree like an oversized squirrel. “I know you are. You’re doing great. In fact, you look really good compared to yesterday!”_

_Tamlen gave her a look, “That is kind of you to say, but I doubt it. You are a terrible liar.”_

_Lyra grinned a bit sheepishly and shrugged, “I tried.” She fell quiet as Tamlen had another coughing fit. They were so deep and wet sounding, it was almost haunting for her to listen to._

_When Tamlen was able to breathe again he sighed and closed his eyes. When he didn’t say anything Lyra thought he fell asleep until he opened his eyes and looked at her. “So, what else has been happening since I’ve been stuck here?”_

_Lyra shrugged again. “There hasn’t been much. Marethari has been giving Merrill more responsibilities, so rumor has it that she’ll be taking over the store next.”_

_Tamlen smiled at that. “She would do well. Plants seem to like her a lot.”_

_“Exactly! Nothing is confirmed of course, but it might as well be.” Lyra laughed a bit and then fell silent, fidgeting a bit. “Actually, Tamlen, there was something I wanted to tell you.”_

_Tamlen looked at her curiously, “What is it, Lyra?”_

_Lyra began to wring her hands, but she made sure to keep them out of Tamlen’s sight. “Well, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while now, and I guess now is better late than never.” She paused for a second to gather her thoughts and would regret that for months._

_Tamlen fell into another coughing fit, but this was worse than the others. The force of it caused him to be practically lifted from the bed and the monitors connected to him started to beep loudly._

_After what seemed like hours a couple of nurses rushed into the room and began to check Tamlen’s vitals. A third nurse gently but urgently grasped Lyra’s arm and ushered her out, closing the door in her face._

_Lyra stood there in shock, her hands clasped so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She could hear the beeping and the coughing, ignoring the rest of the world around her completely. The time seemed to crawl as she prayed to any God or Creator she could think of, begging for her dear friend to live._

_She didn’t register moving to a nearby bench, nor the cup of coffee put into her hands by an unknown person. She was lost in her own world until one phrase jarred her back to the present:_ he didn’t make it.

Something inside of her snapped that day and everything changed. She left Marethari’s shop to avoid the painful memories and looked for work elsewhere, eventually ending up at Duncan’s Clothing. It was shortly after that that she met her roommates, having moved away from the all too familiar neighborhood that she and Tamlen had grown up in.

She realized that Wynne was still waiting patiently for her to pull herself together a bit. Sniffing, Lyra grinned slightly and wiped her eyes to clear the tears. She was so grateful for Wynne; the old woman had always been there to support her residents, making sure that everyone was cared for. As a result she and Lyra had gotten close and formed a comfortable relationship. Whenever Lyra needed advice she would go to Wynne first.

“It would seem a lot of your distress is coming from that unresolved conversation,” Wynne said gently, “Until you can get past that you might continue to have trouble forming any serious relationship. However, I don’t think some innocent dating would be a bad idea.”

Lyra gave Wynne a slightly confused look as she pondered her words. She hadn’t dated anyone for years; Tamlen was the only one she ever went out with. She didn’t even know if she remembered how to date. “I suppose...” she said uncertainly.

Wynne just softly smiled. “It’s your choice, dear. You only do what you feel is best.”

Lyra grinned and nodded. “Thank you Wynne, I really appreciate this.”

“Anytime dear,” Wynne replied, “I just hope I was able to help in some way. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Lyra thought for a moment before shaking her head. “I can’t think of anything right now.”

Wynne nodded. “Then I should take my leave. I have a few more apartments to check before Shale comes by to take care of the rodent problem downstairs.”

Lyra grinned. Shale was the best exterminator in town and Wynne always called her whenever there was a problem at the apartment. Unless it was pigeons. No one talks about the pigeon incident. “Good luck with that. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Thank you, dear. Try not to worry too much, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” With those parting words Wynne left the apartment, leaving Lyra alone once again.

She sat on the couch going over the conversation. She still felt like dating someone else was a betrayal to Tamlen, but what Wynne said made sense. Maybe dating someone just for fun wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Besides, it’s just one little date, and she might even find out that she didn’t like Zevran after all and would forget about him.

Satisfied with this Lyra went back to her room and dialed the number on the box. After two rings a silken voice purred, “This is Zevran, how can I be of assistance?”

Slightly taken aback, Lyra was speechless for a few seconds before her brain kicked into gear. “Oh, hi, Zevran. This is Lyra. You know, from earlier?”

She could practically hear the smile. “Ah, Lyra! How wonderful it is to hear your voice! I see that you found my little message on the box.”

Lyra smirked a bit, “yeah, yeah I did.” She could feel her hands start to grow hot as her nerves started to try and take over. “So, um, I was wondering if you would like to hang out sometime? Maybe catch a movie or something?”

“Lyra, I would be _delighted!_ I do not have a shift this Friday, would that work for you?”

The first hurdle was passed. “Yeah, that should work! Um, is there anything in particular that you would want to do?”

Zevran hummed a bit in thought. “Perhaps you would like to have dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant I know, and then afterward we can go to a movie?”

“Sounds good to me,” Lyra replied. Was it really this easy? “Why don’t you figure out the details and text me a time?”

“As you wish,” Zevran said and Lyra half imagined him bowing, “I will make sure it is a night that you will never forget!”

Lyra wasn’t really sure how to respond to that, “..Thanks, I look forward to it. I guess I’ll talk to you later?”

“I look forward to hearing your angelic voice once again!”

They said their goodbyes and Lyra hung up, staring down at her phone before falling onto her bed and groaning. What did she just do? She just agreed to go on a date with a man she barely met! Although, isn’t that how it’s supposed to happen? Or was there a grace period she completely ignored?

Either way, the date was a done deal. Now she just had to wait for Zevran to text her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyra tries to figure out what she wants to feel and goes to her friends for answers.

Lyra paced her room later that day. When she had returned home, she found that the workers had finished installing the stove and that both of her roommates were out running errands (separately of course) so she had the house to herself. However she was too distracted to take advantage of this.

The box with the phone number sat on her desk, the cakes inside untouched. The room was a bit on the small side; only big enough to comfortably fit a dresser, desk and twin bed; so her pacing space was limited.

Many different thoughts went through her head all at once, and tightly in her hand was a worn photograph of a young man with short pale hair. His arm is wrapped around Lyra’s shoulders and they are both smiling at the camera.

Unbidden, tears fell from Lyra’s face as she paced. Tamlen was her dearest friend, and she had hoped to become more than that, but cancer had to rear it’s ugly head and take him from her. She could still perfectly imagine Tamlen laying in the hospital bed, his hair completely gone and his skin sickly pale. She stayed with him through all of the treatments, all the way to the very end. Even though it had been about a year, she still felt the pain as though it happened only yesterday.

She thought she would never love again, but here this charming stranger appears in her life and makes her feel like a high school girl experiencing her first crush. And now he gave her his phone number, giving her the option to contact him outside of work. But would doing so betray Tamlen?

Frustrated, she fell onto her bed, looking up at the bare ceiling. Tank jumped up onto her and laid down, resting his head on her stomach and whimpering softly. Without looking at him Lyra scratched his ear and tried to make sense of all of this.

A knock on the door and Tank jumping off her jolted her out of her thoughts. Tank was waiting by the door by the time she got there, wagging his tail furiously.

Wiping her eyes, Lyra opened the door to reveal an older woman with graying hair pulled into a ponytail. “Good afternoon dear,” she said in a kind and gentle voice.

Lyra smiled and hugged the woman, “Hi Wynne! What’s up?”

Wynne returned the hug. “Oh I just came to make sure that there weren’t anymore problems with your kitchen. You know how trouble likes to wear out it’s welcome.”

Lyra opened the door wider and stepped to the side, “Come on in. I actually haven’t had the time to check it myself yet.”

Wynne stepping inside and Lyra led her to the kitchen. The new stove sat in the same place as the old one, the soot stains on the wall above it the only evidence of the previous catastrophe. Wynne examined the stove and made a small approved noise. “Well, it seems they did rather well. I’ll have to make sure to let them know,” she said with a satisfied smile.

“Great,” Lyra replied, “Hopefully this will last longer than the other one.”

Wynne made a tsking noise as she left the kitchen. “Knowing Morrigan, that probably won’t happen.” The two of them returned to the living room and Lyra started heading to the front door when Wynne stopped. “I apologize if I’m overstepping my boundaries, but can I ask what you were crying about earlier?”

Lyra looked back at the old woman in surprise. “How did-”

Wynne just smiled, “I’ve been in this world for a long time, it’s easy to tell when someone has cried.”

Lyra grinned slightly. She should have known better than to think she could hide anything from Wynne, she always had a way to see things that weren’t very obvious, which was very interesting to her.

Lyra motioned for Wynne to sit down, and once they were settled she told the old woman about Zevran and Tamlen. When her story was finished she waited for Wynne to respond, hoping that she made sense.

Wynne leaned back in thought for a moment before speaking, “So you are afraid to explore this possible relationship with Zevran because of your loyalty to Tamlen, correct?” Lyra nodded and Wynne continued, “Well, this really is quite a predicament you’ve found yourself in.”

Lyra sighed, “yeah, I noticed. Do you have any advice?”

Wynne thought carefully before responding, “Well, let me ask you this: did you ever tell Tamlen how you felt about him?”

Lyra was taken aback by the unexpected question. “Um, well, I tried. I wanted to tell him, but the day before...he passed, we didn’t have the chance. I was actually in the process of doing so when his heart finally gave out.” She could feel the tears falling again.

_Almost immediately she was brought back to that day. Tamlen had looked the worst he ever had, his breathing slow and loud as he fought for air. His skin was so pale and fragile-looking it seemed like it would crumble at the slightest touch. His boney fingers were laying limply at his sides, multiple tubes, needles, and more connected to him in various places. They made him look like some sort cyborg; more machine than man._

_Lyra sat down in her usual spot next to the bed without a word, just the usual forced smile on her face. “Hey. How are you feeling?”_

_Tamlen gave her a weak smile before coughing violently. “I’m fine,” he finally choked out, “just a little tired.”_

_Lyra didn’t like the sound of the cough. It seemed that Tamlen’s health was taking a nosedive lately and it scared her. “Well, Marethari wanted to tell you that she misses you and that she wishes she could come visit more often.”_

_Tamlen nods, “I miss her too. I’m just sorry that I haven’t been able to help her because of all this.”_

_Lyra shook her head quickly, “No, don’t worry about it! Everything is fine at the shop, you just worry about getting better.” She didn’t mention that Marethari was thinking of moving the plant shop because of her being unable to pay the rent. She didn’t want to give him something else to worry about._

_Tamlen’s smile wavered a bit at that, “I’m giving it my best.”_

_Lyra could feel her heart break a little, which was surprising with how much it had already been damaged. It hurt her to see her friend like this, unable to move when only months before he was climbing a tree like an oversized squirrel. “I know you are. You’re doing great. In fact, you look really good compared to yesterday!”_

_Tamlen gave her a look, “That is kind of you to say, but I doubt it. You are a terrible liar.”_

_Lyra grinned a bit sheepishly and shrugged, “I tried.” She fell quiet as Tamlen had another coughing fit. They were so deep and wet sounding, it was almost haunting for her to listen to._

_When Tamlen was able to breathe again he sighed and closed his eyes. When he didn’t say anything Lyra thought he fell asleep until he opened his eyes and looked at her. “So, what else has been happening since I’ve been stuck here?”_

_Lyra shrugged again. “There hasn’t been much. Marethari has been giving Merrill more responsibilities, so rumor has it that she’ll be taking over the store next.”_

_Tamlen smiled at that. “She would do well. Plants seem to like her a lot.”_

_“Exactly! Nothing is confirmed of course, but it might as well be.” Lyra laughed a bit and then fell silent, fidgeting a bit. “Actually, Tamlen, there was something I wanted to tell you.”_

_Tamlen looked at her curiously, “what is it, Lyra?”_

_Lyra began to wring her hands, but she made sure to keep them out of Tamlen’s sight. “Well, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while now, and I guess now is better late than never.” She paused for a second to gather her thoughts and would regret that for months._

_Tamlen fell into another coughing fit, but this was worse than the others. The force of it caused him to be practically lifted from the bed and the monitors connected to him started to beep loudly._

_After what seemed like hours a couple of nurses rushed into the room and began to check Tamlen’s vitals. A third nurse gently but urgently grasped Lyra’s arm and ushered her out, closing the door in her face._

_Lyra stood there in shock, her hands clasped so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She could hear the beeping and the coughing, ignoring the rest of the world around her completely. The time seemed to crawl as she prayed to any God or Creator she could think of, begging for her dear friend to live._

_She didn’t register moving to a nearby bench, nor the cup of coffee put into her hands by an unknown person. She was lost in her own world until one phrase jarred her back to the present:_ he didn’t make it.

Something inside of her snapped that day and everything changed. She left Marethari’s shop to avoid the painful memories and looked for work elsewhere, eventually ending up at Duncan’s Clothing. It was shortly after that that she met her roommates, having moved away from the all too familiar neighborhood that she and Tamlen had grown up in.

When she realized that Wynne was still waiting patiently for her to pull herself together a bit. Sniffing, Lyra grinned slightly and wiped her eyes to clear the tears. She was so grateful for Wynne; the old woman had always been there to support her residents, making sure that everyone was cared for. As a result she and Lyra had gotten close and formed a comfortable relationship. Whenever Lyra needed advice she would go to Wynne first.

“It would seem a lot of your distress is coming from that unresolved conversation,” Wynne said gently, “Until you can get past that you might continue to have trouble forming any  
serious relationship. However, I don’t think some innocent dating would be a bad idea.”

Lyra gave Wynne a slightly confused look as she pondered her words. She hadn’t dated anyone for years; Tamlen was the only one she ever went out with. She didn’t even know if she remembered how to date. “I suppose...” she said uncertainly.

Wynne just softly smiled. “It’s your choice, dear. You only do what you feel is best.”

Lyra grinned and nodded. “Thank you Wynne, I really appreciate this.”

“Anytime dear,” Wynne replied, “I just hope I was able to help in some way. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Lyra thought for a moment before shaking her head. “I can’t think of anything right now.”

Wynne nodded. “Then I should take my leave. I have a few more apartments to check before Shale comes by to take care of the rodent problem downstairs.”

Lyra grinned. Shale was the best exterminator in town and Wynne always called her whenever there was a problem at the apartment. Unless it was pigeons. No one talks about the pigeon incident. “Good luck with that. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Thank you, dear. Try not to worry too much, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” With those parting words Wynne left the apartment, leaving Lyra alone once again.

She sat on the couch going over the conversation. She still felt like dating someone else was a betrayal to Tamlen, but what Wynne said made sense. Maybe dating someone just for fun wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Besides, it’s just one little date, and she might even find out that she didn’t like Zevran after all and would forget about him.

Satisfied with this Lyra went back to her room and dialed the number on the box. After two rings a silken voice purred, “This is Zevran, how can I be of assistance?”

Slightly taken aback, Lyra was speechless for a few seconds before her brain kicked into gear. “Oh, hi, Zevran. This is Lyra. You know, from earlier?”

She could practically hear the smile. “Ah, Lyra! How wonderful it is to hear your voice! I see that you found my little message on the box.”

Lyra smirked a bit, “yeah, yeah I did.” She could feel her hands start to grow hot as her nerves started to try and take over. “So, um, I was wondering if you would like to hang out sometime? Maybe catch a movie or something?”

“Lyra, I would be delighted! I do not have a shift this Friday, would that work for you?”

The first hurdle was passed. “Yeah, that should work! Um, is there anything in particular that you would want to do?”

Zevran hummed a bit in thought. “Perhaps you would like to have dinner at a fabulous French restaurant I know, and then afterward we can go to a movie?”

“Sounds good to me,” Lyra replied. Was it really this easy? “Why don’t you figure out the details and text me a time?”

“As you wish,” Zevran said and Lyra half imagined him bowing, “I will make sure it is a night that you will never forget!”

Lyra wasn’t really sure how to respond to that, “..Thanks, I look forward to it. I guess I’ll talk to you later?”

“I look forward to hearing your angelic voice once again!”

They said their goodbyes and Lyra hung up, staring down at her phone before falling onto her bed and groaning. What did she just do? She just agreed to go on a date with a man she barely met! Although, isn’t that how it’s supposed to happen? Or was there a grace period she completely ignored?

Either way, the date was a done deal. Now she just had to wait for Zevran to text her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally another chapter! This took way too long, but I had a bit of time where I didn't really want to write anything and a bunch of personal life challenges took up a LOT of my time. I hope that this chapter is okay and I promise to have a better schedule with updates!


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